Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

The Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)'s Community Affairs Department supports the OCC's mission to ensure a safe and sound banking system and fair access to credit for all Americans by helping national banks to be leaders in community development finance and retail services, particularly for underserved consumers and communities. Community Affairs provides information and best practices on community development through the publication of the Community Development newsletters and research reports, the "Financial Literacy Update" e-newsletter, and web resource directories as well as outreach with bankers and the public. This information addresses financial literacy and education, foreclosure prevention and community stabilization, small business financing, rural development, community development investments, organizing community development banks, Native American banking, minority-owned depository institutions, effective strategies for community development financing, and effective practices that banks can use to develop profitable investment opportunities in traditionally underserved markets. The OCC also builds public awareness by publishing consumer advisories about financial services issues and through public service announcements in English and Spanish. The OCC's HelpWithMyBank.Gov web site provides answers to more than 250 commonly-asked questions on topics such as credit cards, deposit insurance, mortgages, insurance, identity theft and also enables national bank consumers to register complaints about their national banks.